SNP supports foxhunting ban

The resolution called for it to be made illegal for mounted hunts to use hounds to chase foxes from cover, and for all other hunts to be limited to two dogs. Currently, there is no restriction on the number of dogs that can be used by mounted or foot hunts.

Ashley Douglas, who proposed the resolution, said:"I am delighted that National Council has voted in favour of the resolution to strengthen Scotland’s fox-hunting ban.

Hunting foxes to death with hounds is cruel and barbaric and it is has been rightly banned in Scotland since 2002.But any ban must be fit for purpose – and that's why it is so important to address huge loopholes such as the ‘flushing to guns’ exemption.

Following today’s vote, it is now official SNP party policy to remove this loophole and I look forward to seeing our SNP Scottish Government take this into consideration as it consults on how to strengthen the ban."

Jennifer Dunn, Senior Public Affairs Officer from the League Against Cruel Sports, added:“We’re absolutely delighted that SNP delegates agreed that we need a real ban on fox hunting in Scotland. Our investigators have, over the last three years, consistently uncovered evidence of hounds being used to chase down and kill foxes. In many cases, there were no guns to be seen; hunts are using loopholes in the current legislation to flout the law.”

“The Government need to listen to their own party activists, the 20,000 people who signed our petition to ban hunting, and the 85% of the Scottish public who want a ban, and commit to ending the barbaric cruelty of foxhunting.”

Ends

The League Against Cruel Sports is Britain's leading charity that works to stop animals being persecuted, abused and killed for sport. The League was instrumental in helping bring about the landmark Hunting Act. We carry out investigations to expose law-breaking and cruelty to animals and campaign for stronger animal protection laws and penalties. We work to change attitudes and behaviour through education and manage sanctuaries to protect wildlife. Find out more about our work at www.league.org.uk. Registered charity in England and Wales (no.1095234) and Scotland (no.SC045533)

Latest

Positive measures to protect animals have been announced by the government today. The Animal Welfare Bill 2018 includes an increase in sentencing for animal abuse from a maximum of six months jail to five years, and also states that animal sentience must be recognised in any future laws.

Related

Positive measures to protect animals have been announced by the government today. The Animal Welfare Bill 2018 includes an increase in sentencing for animal abuse from a maximum of six months jail to five years, and also states that animal sentience must be recognised in any future laws.

This blog post corrects many errors published in a December 2017 Metro’s article about fox hunting, in which it confuses trail hunting, drag hunting and clean boot hunting. The post sets the record straight regarding recent incidents of hunt violence and intimidation, and rebukes some of the mistruths perpetuated by the pro-hunt lobby.

Wildlife crime, including the chasing and killing of animals using loopholes in the law, came under the microscope when the League Against Cruel Sports joined forces with the police at a prestigious conference this weekend.

A county council in West Sussex has banned new tenants from using cruel and indiscriminate snares to capture live animals on its land. The ban came into force this summer and is attracting interest from other councils across the UK.

Most read

As a team, we share the same passion – to stop animal cruelty in the name of sport. We are a tight knit team and we work hard within a fun, relaxed environment. We also offer something many employers don’t – an office full of friendly dogs!

Hunting was banned in England and Wales in 2004, but the law has never been properly enforced, and attempts to weaken or repeal it continue. The hunting law in Scotland is weak, and hunting is still legal in Northern Ireland.

Hurting and killing animals for ‘sport’ is one of the principal causes of animal cruelty in the UK: tens of millions suffer and die each year for ‘leisure’ activities. We’re here to protect those animals.

Bullfighting is perhaps the most well known spectator “sport” involving the killing of animals for entertainment. It has already been banned in most countries, but each year tens of thousands of bulls are maimed, tortured and killed for entertainment in Spain, Portugal, France, Colombia, Mexico, USA, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru.

The hidden side of greyhound racing includes dogs kept for long periods in lonely kennels, painful injuries from racing and training, illness and neglect. Shockingly, thousands of surplus dogs die or disappear every year. The League believes dogs should not suffer or die for entertainment or for the profit of the dog racing industry.

The Hunting Act 2004 is the law which bans chasing wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales – this basically means that fox hunting, deer hunting, hare hunting, hare coursing and mink hunting are all illegal, as they all are cruel sports based on dogs chasing wild mammals.